AI Is Taking Over the Most Cursed Job in the World
AI technology is increasingly being used in the debt collection industry as companies seek to automate the process. With rising debt delinquency rates in the U.S., AI agents like 'Eve' are becoming common in making collection calls. This shift aims to alleviate the burden of one of the least liked jobs, as the industry anticipates significant growth in AI applications over the next decade.
- ▪Debt delinquency in the United States is at an all-time high, prompting companies to use AI for collections.
- ▪AI debt collectors are projected to become a $16 billion industry within the next decade.
- ▪Debt collection ranks in the bottom 1 percent for job satisfaction, making it a prime candidate for automation.
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Kate KnibbsThe Big StoryMay 26, 2026 6:00 AMAI Is Taking Over the Most Cursed Job in the WorldThere’s a mad dash to automate the world’s most hated calls. Have an unpaid bill? You’ll hear from an AI debt collector sometime soon.Photo-Illustration: Jobanny Cabrera; Getty ImagesCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyShe introduced herself as Eve, but Ben knew right away that the voice on the other end of the line was a bot. Eve knew his name. She also knew how much money he’d owed a former landlord ($266). She didn’t seem to know that he’d settled with a collection agency five months prior. Eve said she was an AI agent from ProCollect and was calling to collect a debt.
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